Careers in Interior Design with Maria Ramirez at BB Interiors

Careers in Interior Design with Maria Ramirez at BB Interiors
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[00:00:00]

Stephen Drew: Hello, everyone. Hello. In 30 seconds, we're going to talk about interior design. Now, I know if you watch Changing Rooms We're not just talking about that. There's a time and a place for that. This is gonna be some high end cool stuff. I know, right? Let's do it. Let's jump in. Let's jump in. Get those mood boards ready.

I know, all those ideas you have. We're gonna go through them.

Hello everyone and welcome to this live stream special. I'm so excited you're joining us. We're hitting the new year off with a bang again. And this in this episode, we're going to talk a little bit about [00:01:00] something a bit different. Now, as an architect, you've always going to do a little bit of interior design, but as well as that, I want to unpack the world of working with the people that focus on the interior design.

Interior designers, but also that kind of world in the middle of interior architecture. Is it architecture? Is it interior design? I've got a guest from the industry. Who's going to unpack it with me. Who is the fantastic Maria Ramirez from BB Interiors Design Studio. Maria, how are you today?

Maria Ramirez: Hello. Very good indeed. Thank you so much for having me.

Stephen Drew: Now, I really appreciate you being here and now, Maria, while we're getting to know each other and I've learned a little bit about yourself and your studio, maybe one or two people in the audience haven't discovered what your good work is yet. So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and then a little bit about the studio?

Maria Ramirez: Sure. As probably my accent gives away, I grew up in Spain and I [00:02:00] studied there. And I guess within the family, we were always really hands on. We built houses. We we had workshops. I grew up doing all sorts of bits and bobs with my grandfather. So I studied then the history of art.

Because, again, we were really artistic. And then I did interior design. Obviously because of that background, I lean more towards, knocking down walls rather than choosing dried flowers.

Stephen Drew: Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: I'm on that kind of end of the spectrum. So that's my background. And then, I founded Vivi Interiors because I saw a need with, within the industry.

There was a lot of interior design companies, there was a lot of architectural companies but a lot of clients were coming to me because they have done this bit with this professional and that bit with the other professional and it was not [00:03:00] Really well integrated. There was not a comprehensive system, and there was all sorts of problems with, Oh, this person has the, that has done the FFNE, but it's not the same for you. You do mean, for you, FFNE means one thing and for the architect means another thing. And I was like, Oh, okay. So obviously I have a interior design and project management background.

But I'm very architectural. Lean, I lean very much on the architecture and so it evolved into doing projects from beginning to the very end. So from the technical drawings and planning applications and I have an architect that I work with very closely. We are the core team and we develop everything within like in house.

So it has It's been amazing because we have been able to think very much at the beginning of the [00:04:00] project, all the little details and not having to do the work twice or three times.

Stephen Drew: I love it. And I'm fascinated. I want to learn a little bit more about how especially you collaborate with that architect. But just before we go into that, I want to wind the clock back. So years ago. And we talked about this a tiny bit before we went live. I was thinking maybe I should do an interior design and then architecture.

Who knows what happened, but I went to study architecture and I did a module in interior design, which I absolutely love. However, I'd love to know about yourself. How did you get into it, Maria, then? Did you do interior design in university or something a little bit different?

Maria Ramirez: I studied, when I started studying uni, there was no interior design degree

Stephen Drew: Oh, wow.

Maria Ramirez: Yeah I'm ancient. So I did history of art and I specialized in architecture. [00:05:00] Funnily enough, I did my specialty in medieval architecture, which is

Stephen Drew: Oh, wow.

Maria Ramirez: like more historic. In Spain, again, back then, it was five years, so it was really intense and it really, I could not be more grateful, honestly, because in a way I spent five years of my life learning to love, fell in love with different styles.

Any one client that comes to me, we don't have an in house style I have clients that come to me and say, hey, we are minimalists, and I'm like, cool. Maybe you really are not minimalist, but I have people that come to me saying we like colorful, or we don't like color at all, or we are maximalist, or mid century, and we can really cater for everyone.

And that versatility, that flexibility, I'm really proud of, and that's what my degree gave me, really.

Stephen Drew: [00:06:00] Nice.

Maria Ramirez: And then I did my Master's in Geodesign and Project Management. So that has been the more practical, but to be honest with you, and I always say this you do a lot of study and you go through your professors and your projects at uni or whatever.

A lot of my girls and both girls and my whole team have gone through interior design degree now, the younger generations. It's amazing that the projects they have to do, but. The Nothing Beats experience and the fact that I grew up building stuff with my grandfather. Nothing beats that because it creates a practical pathway in your brain.

You look at something and you Your brain is automatically, figuring out how it's built,

Stephen Drew: Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: And that, it applies to architecture, it applies to interior design because of scale and proportions and [00:07:00] where the light is going to come into the room and how it's going to affect, I don't know this color that you have here or this glass Coffee table or something so it really creates that kind of being able to render in your head in a way and Yeah, it does very practical.

So I don't know if I actually

Stephen Drew: no it's really useful. I'm just, while you were talking, what's quite interesting is though, where you came from, because, okay, we mentioned you've got the interior design degrees, but you've also got experience in different ways in the industry, I think architecture, because you have to be qualified, it means that sometimes people follow a very.

Typical trajectory. But what it sounds like to me is that if people are good and in interior design, while there were qualifications, really you're saying it's the experience you can build a career and a business around that experience and knowledge in interior design, [00:08:00] is that correct?

Okay, so can I ask you maybe a silly quick question. So the, in architecture you have RIBA, which is the Royal Institute of British Architects, and then you have the Architects Registration Board. In interior design then, so what's the company that is like the, I don't know professional body?

Is it BIID in the UK? Okay, so what's the company that is like the professional body? Is it BIID in the UK? But you, to sign up with the BI ID you have to work for X amount of years in the industry. Is that right?

Maria Ramirez: There is there is a set of requirements to register with them.

I know so many people that work in the industry that are not registered.

Stephen Drew: So it doesn't matter. It's about the quality of work and the experience.

Maria Ramirez: Yeah. I think, they have an amazing, Organization. And they help with training and they organize workshops and they they help with promoting businesses as well and professionals.

And [00:09:00] it's very, I think it's very important that we have that because it sets a standards.

Stephen Drew: Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: Although you don't need to be registered there is a professional standard that you aspire to, everyone can do it, that's the reality of it but I think, I personally think it's fairly easy to spot a good or bad one.

Interior Designer, someone that has the eye. I think a lot of a lot of it comes from experience, but I think also a lot of it comes to having a good eye. And being a little bit of a sponge when you are starting. I, I always today I'm very happy because I learned something new.

Or today, it's been okay, but it's not been great, because they have not learned anything new, or I have not done something new. Yeah, you don't really need to be registered with them,

Stephen Drew: [00:10:00] No,

Maria Ramirez: it's preferable.

Stephen Drew: fair. I got you, and that makes complete sense. It's interesting that you mentioned the eye, or taste, and and I think My experience is that comes with time. I look back at some of the work I did at the start of university and I'm like, Oh gosh. Oh, good. Terrible.

Maria Ramirez: My first portfolios.

Stephen Drew: yeah, exactly.

But I'd love to know when you're with this eye, you mentioned, you said the eye. Is someone born with the eye or do you need to be born with a bit of an eye and you can develop the eye?

Maria Ramirez: Oh, that's a very good question. Oh, I don't know. I think definitely there's people that are born with AI.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, I think so.

Maria Ramirez: I don't want to give too much away, but I know someone that a woman has two kids and honestly, the kids. Choose their own clothes and it's amazing.

Stephen Drew: have the [00:11:00] eye.

Maria Ramirez: eye, one of them looks every day like he's come out of Peaky Blinders.

Stephen Drew: Wow.

Maria Ramirez: cap and the suspenders and he's but I think for the majority you might have some eye or some inclinations. But it's about developing that and training that and, and learning from your mistakes. Because even if you have got good eye, you will make mistakes.

But the important part is that you need to learn from that. And hugely important is also to have someone to guide you to Support you both on a practical point of view and an emotional point of view, I think it's quite a stressful career altogether because it's all so subjective. So you really might like it, but someone else doesn't and you don't understand why.

Stephen Drew: Yeah

You've got to be passionate for it. I spoke to an architect yesterday

Practice. And he said that [00:12:00] he spends 10 to 20 percent of his time doing the design and the rest of it is about building the building. I'd love to know what the day to day of an interior designer is.

Compared to that analogy as an architect, is it different than Maria, the day to day?

Maria Ramirez: completely, honestly, completely on a design process, I think, I, one of my, when I was starting, I remember one of my seniors told me why are you panicking? I will spend a good day or two days on Instagram and Pinterest trying to figure out what to do. And then if you are doing like joinery or space planning or yes, you will have maybe, but typically once you have got the idea, just match it.

Stephen Drew: Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: say you are doing a kitchen, you might spend one day on [00:13:00] Pinterest trying to imagine how you want to do it or what you want to do with it, with the space. If you want to modify the space. If you want to just play with the space you already have, it depends on the project as well. But typically once you know that, you can draw that kitten in a single day.

And then it's just revisions from clients.

Stephen Drew: Very different. Quite exciting. And I can see the appeal. I always wished I did interior design, but you know what? I do love architecture as well. Give me on the other hand though, it sounds intense, all that design. Okay. You mentioned that, the, you got the Instagram and the Pinterest and the bit of the research and the mood boards and getting the feel, the tone, the emotion.

However, what's it like when the project develops Maria, does it get a little bit more technical from there then? Yep.

Maria Ramirez: yeah. The thing is, we always start with, I mean At the beginning there will be a more

Stephen Drew: [00:14:00] Yep.

Maria Ramirez: process because yes, you need to Find out what you personally, as a designer, want to put forward to a client. But once all of that is done, and this is, I think, something that a lot of people don't realize clients and some architects as interior designers, if you have done the degree, you typically will tackle the interior architecture, which is the technical part.

You will naturally do flooring, setting out. Electrical, Small Power Layouts, or Lighting Layouts. There is always going to be specialists, like lighting designers and things like that. But you can do an indicative. For the client's approval joinery kitchens bathrooms, elevations bathrooms sanitary work schedules, things like that.

It's our bread and butter. Interior design is an umbrella, it's a cap term and you will [00:15:00] find interior architects. If you're a designer, it's more like FF& E designers, and when we say FF& E designers, we mean things that are not anchored to the building, so yes. It does not include the kitchen. My architect disagrees with this. Yeah. But we don't include the kitchen. That's into architecture for us. We will, we are thinking more on, Your sofa and your beds and your bedside tables and things like that. And then you will have the styling part which comes at the end and it refers more to the cushions the the dried flowers, the decoration, the, not the decoration, the the styling elements in a bookshelf.

For example, books and things like this. And An interior designer can be all of those things or just one, and I think that's what's confusing for many people. You can be a well rounded designer. I consider myself a [00:16:00] round designer, so I tackle interior architecture. I do the FFN selection, I do the styling at the end, but there will be people that just specialize in styling at the end, and they are stylists.

Or they are interior architects and, they don't like searching for hours on the internet for this one bedside table that the client likes,

Stephen Drew: Yeah, I got you.

Maria Ramirez: painful as well. We do the technical side. Quite often, in our projects, in the majority of them, actually.

Stephen Drew: Okay. It makes complete sense. Thank you for saying that because I, one of the things we talked about before as well was the misconceptions of interior design. And I always feel that it goes two ways with interior design. We think of interior design. Amazing. The beautiful stuff. I also, though, when I was growing up, the first thing I heard about interior design on TV, I joked about it [00:17:00] in our intro, was changing rooms.

We have Laurence Llewellyn Bowen coming in, even though If Laurence Fleur and Boney, if you ever watch, which I don't know if you ever will, but if you do, I think you're amazing. You're super cool. However, it was this kitschy, like interior design, just paint the walls, change a bit of the furniture.

People joke about puffing up new cushions and covers, but I think there's a lot more to that. So what is the misconception, Maria, that some people think about interior design?

Maria Ramirez: I don't know where it comes from. I think it's a, I guess TV is always one of those things that it happens it shows on TV, and people believe that's reality, and reality shows are not reality but also there is a very interesting thing in the United States you can be an interior designer or a decorator,

Stephen Drew: Okay.

Maria Ramirez: so a decorator is what we will call here a [00:18:00] epiphany and a styling all wrapped in one.

And it's that type of thing. It's new furniture, it's new colours, it's a bit of lighting. The cushions and all of that. But we don't have that distinction in the UK. In a way, we just think it's all the same and it's not necessarily the case. I always say, because at the end of the day, it all comes down to communication.

I always say, if you're facing hiring, as an architect, hiring a interior designer. or working with an interior designer, even if it's a client's interior designer first thing that you need to ask is the scope, how far they want to go or they are capable of, because as much as I am a well rounded designer and I like tackling the architecture, I know a lot of people that hate it, and so that interior designer will be very happy.[00:19:00]

to sit back, choose fabrics, and if you ask that person to do a,

I don't know, a sanitary wear schedule, will sweat cold, will be like, no, I hate that, which I get, it's awful.

It needs to happen. Someone needs to do it.

Stephen Drew: No I get it. Now on the other end of the scale, look at some of your projects. I think they're beautiful. Okay. We've got that kind of kitschy of interior design, but the other perception that I think a lot of people have is that Interior Design is actually quite glamorous. House, Candy, Beepy Interiors.

Where I'm going with this though, is that, is there a little bit of glam? Or is it also a lot of hard work behind the scenes, which isn't glamorous in Interior Design? Hehehe. [00:20:00] Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: because the end result needs to look glamorous. I think for me, something very well designed needs to stand on its own and, speak for itself. But The actual process of it is a lot of accounting, it's a lot of schedules and Excel. There is, oh my god, so many assembling days and carrying stuff and being on the phone constantly with UPS and no, it's not necessarily glamorous, the reality of it,

Stephen Drew: Okay.

Maria Ramirez: but having said that, it really depends on, how you view it.

Just I am very handsome, and I cannot say I'm not, I am. my contractors always really like to say, Oh my god, Maria's in the house, Maria's gonna pick up the screwdriver and start assembling

Stephen Drew: Ha.

Maria Ramirez: Just like I am this way I [00:21:00] have a colleague. And they will never, ever dream to pick a tool and start doing it

Stephen Drew: it's just you.

Maria Ramirez: around for someone to do it.

No, I'm sure there is many like me but it's not a glamorous prospect. You are on your snowboards. Running around and if you do have a very big company and very wealthy clients, you want to make sure they get the best experience and, at the end of the day, it's all there is, and it has to be as seamless as possible, because it is a luxury service at the end of the day.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, makes complete sense. I think you've given us already a really good insight. What I wanted to ask you, if you've got a few more minutes about is you mentioned earlier, you joked about your team, your architect, the girls, and I guess where I'm going with this is cause you. So you've been an employee, you've worked in the industry, but now you [00:22:00] also run your own studio.

And the thing is, you talked about how someone got the eye, all this stuff. Now you're hiring at some point. You've hired people, you know that process. So what do you look for now when you're hiring an interior designer, whether they're junior or middleweight? How what, how does an interior designer grab your attention in a CV and portfolio to get an interview?

Who are

Maria Ramirez: person to ask. This because , I have not hired a lot. The times I have gone through the process when I was working for someone else, they did the initial selection in many ways, in many on many occasions. Sorry. I think, to not see too many CGI's is something that always, especially now, it keeps happening.

They fill the portfolio of CGI's and it's

Stephen Drew: Yeah, you didn't do that, or all of it. Yeah, okay.[00:23:00]

Maria Ramirez: but also even if you did, as a professional, I rarely do CGI's and if I do we outsource it. So we don't do them in house. So the fact that you do CGI's for me is useless.

Stephen Drew: Got it.

Maria Ramirez: recently I had actually she's working for me at the minute I had this lady. The, and it's very funny that you asked me this because we were talking about it yesterday, she and I.

Her portfolio was good, was not super on point, but at the time I was doing I had time, so I did quite a lot of interviews. But then She told me she had been helping her parents build this house and that she had a lot of hands on experience, and that reminds me I always look for, to be honest with you, when I do an interview, it's a personality thing, because we are a small studio.

We all need to deal. So [00:24:00] for me, that's priority. It has to be the right balance between being very hands on, being very practical, having good eye having good technical. For me, it's very important. But yeah, it's a personality thing. And I'm talking with her yesterday. We were saying, I was explaining to her, there is two types of people that do an interview.

The ones that are like, run broad very serious, very professional, and very serious. And I'm going to explain to you how I do things. And it's relax, probably you're going to be too high wire for me. Yeah, and the other part, the second part of the people that I don't gel with are the ones that you can see them reading a script in their mind.

You ask them,

Stephen Drew: I agree with

Maria Ramirez: And you can see them! And it's so weird just tell [00:25:00] me! All of those things have to be in the portfolio. Very good technical, good images, good ffme selections, good style, good aesthetic for me is very important, but also natural. For me, when I do an interview, it has to be very natural.

And not, it doesn't, it cannot seem like it's well prepared. Yeah,

Stephen Drew: got you. I agree. I think that's why I quite like live stream or something like this because it's organic and real. And I, one of my pet peeves is that I think at university, Sometimes people, when they present a project, they stick to a script and that's not real life, is it? It's a

Maria Ramirez: No.

Stephen Drew: And I think when you're going back and forth, I think there's an organic honesty there, which comes across in an interview. And I think that's really useful. One mini question I wanted to add to that, because you know all this stuff now, but years ago, me and you were in [00:26:00] university, a lot more years for me than you.

But, back then we were making all these mistakes and stuff, right? And with all the knowledge you've done now, and think about maybe being an interior design student graduating now in 2024. It's very different. What would you do differently? Or what advice would you give to someone in their application?

So for me, I always say, apply to more places than you would normally. Go there with an open mind. Have an open conversation. Because some people, I think, stick to one or two companies they know, when, you should go and meet people and interview. But what advice would you give, or what would you do differently?

Maria Ramirez: I will say apply to all the places, everywhere, all the studios, because the thing for me is that even if you are not particularly lined up with the aesthetic of this one, and you are a junior as a junior person that's going to show, so probably they will not go with you, [00:27:00] however, it's going to prepare you, it's going to train you to do interviews apply everywhere, whether you like it or not, and even if you don't necessarily like it, but you are a junior, say yes, because that's going to give you, that's going to start you onto the experience.

Stephen Drew: yeah,

Maria Ramirez: Internships are important. I think I was talking with another recruiter a while ago and they were saying we don't even publish junior positions any longer because we get swamped with people applying and there is so much competition, so doing a mentorship internship. Program or an internship program that gives you an edge,

Stephen Drew: yeah.

Maria Ramirez: And just, it's going to take time.

So relax, find yourself something that is maybe within the industry, even if it's just on a tangent kind of thing. And keep going and be [00:28:00] resilient because I think the first few years is about. Just finding something, it starts, and then you can get picky,

Stephen Drew: I couldn't agree more. I think what fantastic advice. Now one quick mini fun question. If you don't mind me asking. Everyone two years ago was talking about the Metaverse. Last year we saw AI pop up, right? Chat, chat GPT, but you've also got images. You've got mid journey. Now in architecture, some people use that to get a bit of a mood or something.

There's an experiment there, but building buildings is very complicated. We're not quite there yet. However, I would love to know how artificial intelligence has affected interior design, or maybe it hasn't affected it at all, or how you feel about it generally.

You can be honest.

Maria Ramirez: No, I think it can be, it has its uses. I played around with it a bit. I'm not, by any [00:29:00] means, an expert, and maybe that's the problem.

Stephen Drew: me

Maria Ramirez: The times I tried to, and I just went with Living room I think I was in Nickyardy. Living room Style, whatever, Colors, whatever, Pendant. It, in a way, it creates a whole cookie cutter kind of room that a lot of my not super high end designers or will do.

And Which is, it's frustrating because I wish it was better it doesn't look realistic either, it's still not very, but again I don't know how to do it really, so maybe that was just my experience but in a way it's someone that is a junior and has just left uni, or is doing uni is going through uni now, and it creates like a FFNE board, you And you can tell, spaces are not, equal this thing is here and that thing is there and it's sometimes it's oh, this is very busy.

[00:30:00] I'm very like, Oh, I don't know what to look at first. That's the sort of impression I got from those renders. I was like, Oh,

Stephen Drew: Not there yet.

Maria Ramirez: we are not there yet. Although it's very promising that we are getting there. That particular tool a lot of my peers are worried. I don't know if it's worried, the word, that we will be replaced.

Stephen Drew: Oh, cautious, maybe. Okay,

Maria Ramirez: Cautious, yes. I think the, if you're really good, nothing will replace your eye, what we were saying before. But equally and this is very important for my profession, we do project management, we do procurement of all the FFNE and all the bits and bobs. A CGI mid journey will create a room.

Will not be using real products.

So even if they produce an amazing design, super realistic, someone still needs to find that sofa, [00:31:00] or source an upholsterer to create that sofa for you. So there is a lot of A huge amount of work behind the scenes that it cannot be done through those softwares. So hopefully we'll take, they will take a lot of time to get there so we can still have a job.

Stephen Drew: Yeah I don't think it will ever take over the full role. The bit I'm excited about is using it in businesses or doing the mundane stuff, which isn't really design, getting a little bit of that can be really useful. If you need to, I don't know, dress up an email or something. I think that can be really useful.

However, to overrun the whole design. I just don't think it's possible yet, but it's very easy to generate an image to build, but to build it in reality, like you say, with a light, everything is completely different.

Maria Ramirez: That's the thing it doesn't really give you products. It gives you generic products,

Stephen Drew: Oh, yes. So you can't put the thing in real life.

Maria Ramirez: no it's a, it shows you an image with [00:32:00] a blue armchair, and you're like, great, I love the armchair, where can I buy it from? It does not exist. Or, yes, it exists, but you have to look for it.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if Ikea does one, I can see that happening. Not that you

That.

Maria Ramirez: No, IKEA has a place, it has a place. But they do already with the kitchens. You can build your own kitchen and things like that. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised.

Stephen Drew: I'm here at my part and I just walk around that maze forever. Next time I'll, I will load up the AI. I was going to ask you one more question before we wind down. And that was mainly, and it can be BB Interiors, but also it's 2024. Woo. It's January. We're looking at the year ahead.

I'm quite excited. I think you look excited. But what are you excited for? What do you have any idea yet? What is in store in 2024? Predictions or no idea? Just rolling with it.

Maria Ramirez: I typically roll with it. I'm that kind of person that just, I have some plans. [00:33:00] I have some new contacts, which is very exciting. Some prospective projects, which is great. And also quite exciting. Apart from working on the projects that we are working right now. There's always a scope for more.

I'm looking potentially to hire more people in the next year. Yeah, we are growing. Or hopefully, cross fingers. And yeah, I think I have an award that I'm going to be we will see. But yeah, I think 2024 is going to be quite exciting. It can be quite exciting, I always say, you have so many plans in your head then none of them pans out and then you get depressed.

No. I just roll with it. I have a sort of loose guideline of things I have in the pipeline and plans that we want to achieve and all of this, but they come as they come.

Stephen Drew: Yeah. Yeah. That's a good attitude to have. Now, before we go, I always like to say to the guests on, because I ask lots of questions, it's only fair you have a chance to ask a question back. If you have one, [00:34:00] one or two, whatever it is. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?

Maria Ramirez: One second.

Stephen Drew: The lights have gone out.

You're being kicked out.

Maria Ramirez: Yeah, it keeps syncing, I'm not here.

Stephen Drew: Yeah.

Maria Ramirez: Actually, I want to take I want to listen to your take on working with interior designers. If you have, I always have this idea whenever I have a new client or a new contractor, especially with contractors, is this going to be the interior designer tells me, or move it one millimetre to the left, one millimetre to the right?

Are we being really annoyed?

Stephen Drew: I got you. Yeah, it's it was many years ago when I was in, in architecture practicing, but when I did, I was lucky because there was one scheme in very central London, near Green Park, and it was super prime residential. And I think I was working with. Catherine Pooley or someone similar, I forget the name right now, and I had a really good experience with the interior designer.

EPR Architects where I was, they did the [00:35:00] design delivery, that part of it, the interior design was more about the aesthetics, more focusing on that. So unfortunately, I was the person doing the bad drawings which would go to the interior designer. But they were very nice to me, it was very pleasant, and I would do a lot of the FF and E packages.

Send it all over, joinery, oh my goodness, the amount of cupboards, because what this building was, it was a renovation of an old building, which used to be like a bank right next to Green Park in London, they were going to be super prime resi, it was St. James's and it

Maria Ramirez: Ah yeah. I think I know, I think I know which one.

Stephen Drew: Yeah, it's really nice and it has a lift and the cars go underneath and it's crazy.

And it was a great experience. I remember the walking around site and speaking with the interior designer and one showerhead. So the bit, the shower head, I think was like 20, 000 pounds. Cause it was just that level, right? That was the client. And even during the [00:36:00] design, they were like, Oh, we're not sure whether we're going to make it eight apartments anymore because now some, old money from the Middle East is going to buy the whole building.

So it was all these crazy cool, but very great experience. And it was fun working with the interior designer. I think, though, what was interesting, what you talked about earlier you do a little bit more of the architecture and stuff. In this scenario, the interiors were doing the interiors aesthetics and focusing on that.

But I really enjoyed it. I did get jealous sometimes of their role because I thought it was really cool. But it was a positive experience, nothing negative and the interior designer was always really helpful, so that's, it was a positive thing. So that's it really. In terms of recruitment.

Working with interior design studios is very different than architecture. Very different. Yeah. It's much more about the eye as you talked about it. How does that portfolio feel? And I think with architecture, yes, there's a bit [00:37:00] of that. However, it can be about the drawings, the software, the this, the that.

Whereas interiors is much more about the person's design sensibility, if that makes sense.

Maria Ramirez: It is really tricky because and again, this is something I have discussed plenty before. When you are an interior designer, sometimes do you feel you cannot put things in the portfolio that you have not done in real life with a studio? Like a real project a kitchen, say. But it's very tricky because if that particular studio that you have worked at before had an in house style, and a lot of studios will have an in house style, your personal style might be completely different.

But then you are stuck with that style. And remember how I said before my degree got me to love all the styles and blah, blah, blah. When I [00:38:00] look at the portfolio, it might not be my style, personal style, but if I see that it's well done, even if it's a weird style, or not really what I'm looking for, if it's well done, I will always try and have that interview with that person.

Because I don't know if they want to do that exclusively or if they will be open to do other styles. For me, it's about quality of execution rather than particular style when it's a portfolio. And equally, that's a thing a lot of studios don't understand when they are hiring.

Stephen Drew: right

Maria Ramirez: the fact that you have an in house style and the person that is applying has a very different style does not mean that they will not be happy to do your style

Stephen Drew: got it,

Maria Ramirez: or that know the suppliers

Stephen Drew: yeah,

Maria Ramirez: of your style.

Stephen Drew: I got you the skills behind the style, not every studio sees, it's just the way it is, [00:39:00] but there's value there, isn't there,

Maria Ramirez: yeah.

Stephen Drew: It makes complete sense. If anyone wants to check, I know you haven't got a house down, but if anyone wants to see all the different styles in BB Studios, I would love for you now to tell everyone where they can find your staff, how they can get in contact with you, Maria.

Can you let the audience know?

Maria Ramirez: Yeah, sure. We are the website is currently in the screen. We are Baby Interiors London. And we are on Instagram, we are on LinkedIn and they can message anytime that they want me or my team will get back to them we are quite decent size, so you should not be waiting.

Three weeks for a response, unless it has gone to a spam. Apologies if it has gone to a spam. I apologize beforehand. Do you have all the links in the website? It's very straightforward. It's just bbinteriors. co. uk And you have the Instagram link in there, LinkedIn, Pinterest, we use a [00:40:00] lot of Pinterest actually.

So even, to see. I think we are in house H O U Z, my accent doesn't allow me to pronounce it properly, but so yeah, we are quite visible around and we are more than happy to hear from anyone and everyone. We have been reached out by clients, by Property agents concierge services, suppliers, buyers, sellers, honestly it's great to meet new people anyway yeah, just come and say hi!

Stephen Drew: Excellent. I really appreciate you sharing your insight and how to get a job in the industry, what it's like to work at BB Interiors, what you get up to. It's really valuable. And especially, I really appreciate you taking your time out of your busy day, especially when things are heating up at the start of January.

So

Maria Ramirez: Oh my god, thank you so much for having me!

Stephen Drew: I really appreciate it. Stay on the stage one more minute because I'm going to end the live stream here, but thank you [00:41:00] also in the audience for tuning in live. I really appreciate it. However, if you've also watched the replay, that's okay. It's the modern world. That's what we all do.

More content coming up, but if you did enjoy this, reach out to BB Interiors, and I will have more content soon. Have a great day. Enjoy your lunch break, and speak to you all soon. Take care, everyone. Bye bye now.

Maria Ramirez: Bye bye.